Rejection makes the heart
grow stronger.
Maybe a little wiser.
Maybe a little harder.
Definitely a little smarter.
Heartbreak makes the heart
build stitches.
Makes us slow down our digits
to realize that all we are is
fingerprints.
Tears build oceans
salty as the sea.
Tears dry eventually.
Always necessary.
Disappointment tapers expectations
and enriches gratitude when
good things happen.
This stew of life is necessary.
Either learn to cook and season
or be hopeful for a bowl
and grateful you have a spoon.
A preachy poem maybe.
Maybe just a wallet of ids lost.
Maybe just learning four right turns
keeps you in the same spot.
Rejected,
heartbroken,
crestfallen,
First Down.
Spicing up each day
with a win here
and more oxygen here.
A laugh here,
a tear to remind us
it’s okay to miss someone
if a song brings you back
to a moment you no longer have.
Grateful to pile
your bones under
a warm blanket
at the end of the day.
A heartbeat to
keep you company
in the deafening silence.
And a romance
to end the longing.
And a heart beat
to keep time
for this waltz Life.
Jason Wright is the editor and founder of Oddball Magazine. His column appears weekly. His third book, Train of Thought 2: Almost Home is available now at the Oddball Book Store.